She Grew Wings (2025)
4m 10s
✶ currently at festivals
Synopsis: A short film about butterflies that are irreverently pinned for display. Meanwhile, a diverse group of women speak up about their complicated relationship with beauty, as if they are suffering a similar fate. A mixed media animation made with paint and other analog techniques.
About: For my graduation film at HKU, I decided to take an animated documentary approach. I connected the visual imagery of butterflies being pinned, to audio that contains the stories of women that are interviewed about their takes on beauty. I wanted to communicate the struggles women have trying to adhere to beauty standards, conveyed through the loss of freedom butterflies experience by getting their wings pinned. The stories were constructed from lengthy interviews between me and a handful of feminine presenting people from my inner circles. The interviews ended up covering a broad spectrum on beauty, from plastic surgery, to transness, to diet culture, to what it means to be a woman. From idea to completion, it took about half a year to create, with 2 months of those being production. The animation was made using pencil, printer paper and gouache. I did collage techniques using transfer paper. Thanks to Anna Eijsbouts for guiding me through this film!
direction & animation: yasmine aarts
original music: jim dermois
voices: tiffany j, jasmijn miyese, andy jiang, maan d.
animation assistance: nina fock, tim smink, jeremy tsujita
graduation film @ HKU, university of the arts utrecht
screenings:
2025 - Screening Bibliotheek Neude, Maand v/d Mensenrechten, NL
2025 - Official Selection CinemaZERO, IT
2025 - Official Selection International Student Festival Animafantasia, RO
2025 - Screening Blikvangers, NL
stills:
